Dublin, Ohio: Matt A. Mayer, the former head of the $3.5 billion office charged with working with state and local governments to prepare for terrorism, as well as a policy and operational advisor to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has written an insider’s account of what’s wrong with America’s homeland security effort and how to fix it. Homeland Security and Federalism: Protecting America from Outside the Beltway presents a compelling case that the way to secure America is by giving states and localities, who have a rich history of solving America’s toughest challenges, more responsibility.

In the Foreward to the book, President Ronald Reagan’s Attorney General Edwin Meese III writes: “This book represents the opening thrust in a new battle, but is part of an intellectual war that has raged from the moment our Founding Fathers gathered in Philadelphia during the summer of 1787.” Homeland Security and Federalism uses the principle of federalism to present the case that the best way to protect America from terrorists is to get power out of Washington and back in the hands of governors, mayors, and the countless men and women serving on the front lines in our communities.

The book takes the reader from the streets of Ismailia, Eygpt, in 1921 to New York City on September 11, 2001 and from America’s Colonial period to the inner workings of DHS to show what worked historically and why the approach taken after 9/11 failed to heed the bright lessons of history on how best to protect our nation against this new threat. After asking where are today’s federalists who will push back on Washington’s power grab, the book develops a rational risk model to guide where our limited resources should be allocated that will lead to less pork and more protection. The book then systematically builds the case that states and localities are uniquely suited to lead our efforts on terrorism preparedness, disaster management, illegal immigration, and counterterrorism. Case studies highlight best practices from outside the Beltway that once again vindicate the role of federalism in solving America’s complex challenges, including cases on Arizona’s actions to curb illegal immigration, Seattle’s approach to pandemic flu preparedness based on lessons learned from the SARS crisis, why New York City saw a decline in homeland security grants, and Los Angeles’ innovative counterterrorism actions.

South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, one of America’s top elected officials, notes: “Mayer makes a compelling case for homeland security as states are the ultimate incubators ofeas and policies that work.” Leonard Leo, Executive Vice President of The Federalist Society, states: “Mayer outlines what’s at stake in the homeland security debate with wonderful precision and insight.” James Carafano, one of the nation’s foremost national security experts, writes: “Essential reading for anyone who cares about the freedom and safety of their family, community, and the nation.”

Mayer spent almost two and a half years at DHS working for Secretaries Tom Ridge and Michael Chertoff. He currently serves as the CEO of Provisum Strategies LLC, as a Visiting Fellow at The Heritage Foundation where he writes on national security issues, and as an Adjunct Professor at Ohio State where he teaches a course on responses to terrorism in the U.S. and Europe. Homeland Security and Federalism comes out on June 30, and is currently available for pre-order at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.

For more information, contact: Matt Mayer Phone: 614-790-8819